Skip to Content Subscribe Our Offers My Account Manage My Subscriptions FAQ Newsletters Canada Canadian True Crime Canadian Politics Health World Israel & Middle East Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Comics NP News Quiz New York Times Crossword Horoscopes Life Eating & Drinking Style Sponsored Play for Ontario Travel Travel Canada Travel USA Travel International Cruises Travel Essentials Culture Books Celebrity Movies Music Theatre Television Business Essentials Advice Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Buy Canadian Home Living Outdoor Living Kitchen & Dining Tech Style & Beauty Personal Care Entertainment & Hobbies Gift Guide Travel Guide Amazon Prime Day Deals Savings National Post Store More Sports Hockey Baseball Basketball Football Soccer Golf Tennis Driving Vehicle Research Reviews News Gear Guide Obituaries Place an Obituary Place an In Memoriam Classifieds Place an Ad Celebrations Working Business Ads Archives Healthing Epaper Manage Print Subscription Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ Newsletters Canada World Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Life Shopping Epaper Manage Print Subscription HomeNewsCanadaMaya Gebala has started communicating using a tablet in what her mom calls 'incredible strides'Latest update comes just days after the Tumbler Ridge Shooting survivor went for a day out at a botanical garden in Vancouver You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Maya Gebala trades smiles with her mom from her hospital bed. Photo by Cia Edmonds /FacebookTumbler Ridge shooting survivor Maya Gebala’s condition has been improving steadily, her family reports, with the latest news being that she’s started communicating with the use of a tablet.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorIn social media post Thursday, her mother wrote: “In the past week or so, Maya had made some incredible strides. It just clicked. Her responses, her reactions. I made her a ‘yes/no’ button set she’s learned to use. I found an app on her iPad for non verbal communications. She’s learned to be more deliberate with that as well.”In a minute-long video posted to Facebook, her mom, Cia Edmonds, who posts under the name “Cia Later,” can be seen asking Maya if she was happy to see a recent visitor. Maya reaches out from her hospital bed to press a large button, causing the tablet to respond: “Yes.”Her mom then asks Maya if she’s sad. Maya responds with another yes. Her mom says: “You really missed her, eh?” Her daughter smiles as the conversation continues.Her mother then asks: “Should we go for a walk tomorrow babe? Yes or no?” Maya reaches for the button but looks tired.Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againAnother video in the post shows Maya being helped into a wheelchair and pressing a button to lower herself in a sling. Her mom writes: “When she’s lifted in her sling she drives herself that little corner smirk.. that’s Maya.. 4.5 months, and there are pieces of her trying to shine through.”On the weekend, her father, David Gebala, wrote that Maya’s condition had improved enough that she was able to leave B.C. Children’s Hospital for a day out at a botanical garden in Vancouver. His update in a Facebook post included a collection of photos showing the 12-year-old at Bloedel Conservatory.Maya has been undergoing treatment at the Vancouver hospital since she was shot by Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, during a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., on Feb. 10 this year. Six people were killed at a school and two others in the shooter’s home during the attack.The latest updates come after her mother shared a heartbreaking message on a GoFundMe page informing supporters that the family has been struggling to find appropriate housing in Canada. Maya Gebala at Bloedel Conservatory in Vancouver, B.C. Photo by David Gebala/Facebook“It has been nearly impossible to acquire housing. knowing she will likely be in a wheelchair,” reads an update posted on behalf of Edmonds on May 29.In an earlier update on her Facebook page, Edmonds said the family had been unable to relocate to L.A., despite previously accepting an offer from Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White to pay for Maya’s treatment and the family’s accommodation in the city, because Maya was “too fragile” to risk travelling.Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. 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